1000lb Medium Capacity Bomb

A 1,000lb and 500lb Medium Capacity bomb as well as larger High Capacity bombs.

In April 1942 it was decided that a medium capacity bomb weighing around 1000lb was required to replace the 1000lb General Purpose bomb, the bomb was to incorporate as many components from the 1000lb GP as possible. The wall thickness of the bomb was to be 0.65" with a 50/50 amatol filling with a total weight of 1058lb and a charge to weight ration of 46%. Arrangements were made for the manufacture of 30 development bomb, the bombs were also to have a cast body.. By June drop hammer tests of the castings had been completed at Scunthorpe and arrangements were being made for dropping trials. These trials were completed by July and it was proven that the bombs could withstand impact on hard targets at low striking velocities without damage. More rigorous trials were completed by the end of the month were bombs were dropped from 80-8000 feet on a building target. Five hits were obtained with no serious damage to the bombs.

Trails with bombs with a thinner case (0.58") were carried out in September, results were satisfactory. The bomb was recommended for service although ballistics trials had not yet been completed, more bombs were sent for detonation trials with Amatex and Amatol fillings, by this time the bombs were already in production with Amatex as the standing filling until results from the trial could be published. The report on the ballistics trials was issued in November which showed that using the trail of a GP bomb did not give consistency results and so a tail was designed specifically for the MC bomb, trials of which were carried out in March 1943 with satisfactory results.

Live trials of the bomb were completed in January were five bombs were dropped from 4000 feet with satisfactory results and the blast was felt at over one mile away. By March 1943 19 firms were producing bomb bodies nearly at 18,000 a month.

The 1000lb Medium Capacity bomb was one of the most used bombs of the war and could be described as the standard bomb.